Families Change Teen Guide to Separation & Divorce

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Getting on with Your Life

Change is part of life. But it's not always easy to get used to!

Your parents' separation and divorce will bring lots of changes to your life. Some will be easier to handle than others.

You might find that some changes actually make your life better. For example:

  • If there was a lot of conflict between your parents before they split up, you might be glad that the tension and fighting is over.
  • You might get to spend more time with one or both of your parents than you did before. You might get to know them better, and have better relationships with each of them.
  • Your parents might be happier now that they aren't together anymore. They might be more fun to be with.

Other changes might take longer to get used to. But they will probably feel better with time.

Be patient with yourself. It takes time to get used to big changes in your life.

And give yourself a break. Take time for yourself: see your friends, do the things you like to do, get lots of exercise, read a book, play an instrument. This doesn't mean you should run away from your problems, or stop spending time at home. It just means taking about an hour for yourself every day to have fun. Taking care of yourself this way will make it easier for you to cope with what's happening in your family and to get on with your life!

For more tips on taking care of yourself, see Feeling Better.